Red, White and Blue

Ever since I returned home from Europe I've been playing catch-up at HCH HQ, part of which has involved re-taking my Knicker, Bloomer and Garçonne Tap Short photos. Those of you who follow HCH on Facebook and Twitter know I've been struggling with photographing bottoms on a mannequin for the past few months. Two agonizing paint jobs, hundreds of discarded photos, a purchased (then abandoned) lightbox, and a tripod later, I feel like I may have finally nailed it!

So, just in time for the inevitable patriotic run-up to July 4th, here's a sample of what's been going on on the HCH site and Etsy in red, white and blue.

Mimi Knickers, Charity Knickers, Peggie Garçonne Tap Shorts

What do you think?

Honey Cooler Handmade featured in the San Francisco Chronicle

I'm delighted to announce that Honey Cooler Handmade was featured in the San Francisco Chronicle's Style Section this past weekend. San Francisco fashion designers dream of scoring a coveted spot in the Style Section, so when what I thought would be a small blurb turned into a full-on article on the third page (!) which was also advertised on the first page (!!), I was a little taken aback. Below, the article by the very awesome Maghan McDowell. The online version is here.

The 100 Club

Just call me an Etsy badass.

From How to be a Retronaut

I finally attained the oft-discussed-on-the-Etsy-forums magic number: 100 items in my Etsy shop! Even though I've made tons more than 100 pieces at this point, this is the first time I've had that many on Etsy at once. The lady that made it all happen, Wanda, is below. She's made of a gorgeous fuchsia-tinged purple silk jacquard with a triple bow detail and sheer tulle panels at the sides. At once sexy and lovely, Wanda makes the perfect gift for the special lady in your life, especially if she's you!

Wanda Garconne Tap Shorts

As I begin to work on my next 100 pieces, I'd love to hear what you want to see in the shop. I love hearing from all of you, so requests for specific sizes, colors and motifs are always appreciated. Bralettes are in the pipeline as well, so stay tuned!

Looks from the March Photo Shoot, Part I

The photos from my shoot earlier this month have been steadily rolling in. Make sure to check out the Honey Cooler Handmade Facebook page for updates to the album!

In the meantime, I wanted to break down the looks from the first three shots. Take a peek!

Anya Private Eye Sleep Mask, Helena Deco Camisole, Fidelia Knickers

Lucky Star Deco Camisole, Frankie Bow Belt, Stella Bow Belt

Flossie Deco Camisole, Lucie Garconne Tap Shorts

Photographer: Antonette Streeter
Model: Alexis Carene Hutt
Hair: Brian Jensen
Makeup: Randy Stevens
Stylist: Dominique Guillen
Flowers: John Andrew James

Behind the Scenes of DList Magazine's "Home Alone" Shoot

Gorgeous.

Now on Etsy: Billie

She's up! Blue and bedecked in beautiful bows... swing on by the Honey Cooler Handmade shop to sneak a closer peek.

Over the Moon

The crescent moon is one of my favorite motifs of all time. I wear a gold crescent moon around my neck almost every day and I used one for my Luna Garconne Tap Shorts. Suffice it to say, there will definitely be more in Honey Cooler Handmade's future. 

So, this lovely montage is possibly the most lovely thing I've seen all day. From the always-amazing How To Be A Retronaut.

Preview: Billie Garconne Tap Shorts

It's hard to explain insertion lace to people who have never really examined it before. Typically, the lace is sewn down on a garment, and then the fabric behind the lace is carefully snipped away to reveal a totally sheer motif. Showing sheerness in photos can be difficult... that is, unless you have the right light!

So, here's a sneak peek at Billie's triple-bow-on-the-butt action against my chandelier. I'm about to sew her into a pair of uber-sweet shorts. She'll be in the shop tomorrow, so get your trigger finger ready!

Now on Etsy: A Colorful Gaggle of Flappers

Lots of new dames in the store this week. Meet Quincy, Sandy, Carmine, Lydia and Polly... all fun, flirtatious and lovingly hand-crafted. All in the Honey Cooler Handmade store now!

Quincy Deco Camisole, Sandy Knickers, Carmine Garconne Tap Shorts,

Lydia Knickers, Polly Deco Camisole

Black and White and Red and Yellow All Over

One of the benefits of working toward a last-minute trunk show is that you get to create a boatload of product in a short period of time. This week you'll see a bunch of new pieces from HCH, each with a personality all its own.

Joanie Deco Camisole, Luna Garconne Tap Shorts, Georgina Cropped Deco Camisole

Is it possible for lace to be badass? I don't think I would have been convinced a year ago, but lately I've been coming across the most wicked insertion lace on the planet. My Joanie Deco Cami has a black and white kiwi bird lace and (brace yourselves) the Georgina Cropped Deco Cami boasts fire-breathing dragon lace. All vintage, most likely from the 1930's. Those flappers were some crazy folks.

Joanie is spoken for but Luna and Georgina are up for grabs. And you'd better believe that if I were a smidge smaller, Georgina would be mine, fire-breathing dragons and all.

What are you waiting for? Go hit up the Honey Cooler Handmade shop now! And stay tuned for more pieces this week, including a sweet stash of Knickers!

Crimson and Clover

I really didn't have a choice when the lyrics to "Crimson and Clover" settled into my brain this afternoon. I'd been staring at a lovely vintage clover lace, and the rest was history. Though I'd love to say I kept replaying the original version in my head (by Tommy James and the Shondells), I'll admit that I was thinking more Jimmy Eat World. I'm hoping by posting both versions here that I can jettison my internal soundtrack into the universe.

Tommy Jones and the Shondells - Crimson and Clover

Jimmy Eat World - A Praise Chorus

Now for the inspiration behind the music choices: Carmen, Emmy, Millicent and Rubie! If you're feeling the red and green (crimson and clover), hop on over to the Honey Cooler Handmade shop. There's tons to choose from, and if you have your eye on anything, now's the time to snap it up, because Capsule is next weekend!

Clockwise from top left: Carmen Deco Camisole, Emmy Garconne Tap Shorts,

Millicent Garconne Tap Shorts, Rubie Bow Belt

Preview: The Lien Garconne Tap Shorts

I love Lien. These Garconne Tap Shorts are crafted from a pearly pink silk jacquard which has interwoven Chinese motifs, with two fans applied in insertion lace right on the rear. Perfectly sweet and perfectly peek-worthy!

They'll be up in the Honey Cooler Handmade shop tomorrow!

Now on Etsy: The Grace Garconne Tap Shorts

I love tulle. I also love cotton tulle. And I especially love dotted cotton tulle. Lucky for all of you, I located my MIA stash and have finally begun to incorporate this divine fabric into some really fun pieces (the Cygne Deco Camisole, anyone?).

My most recent endeavor is Grace: a pair of Garconne Tap Shorts whose most prominent asset is a penchant for peek-a-boo! Take a peek yourself...

Sheer triangular inserts at the top rear and side leg hems add just a smidge more sensuality to an already cheeky (heh) pair of tap shorts. They're in the Honey Cooler Handmade Etsy shop now, so snag 'em while they're hot!

Preview: Veda Garconne Tap Shorts

I was debating the following titles for this post:

Have a Heart... Or Two (or) I Wear My Heart(s) on My Butt. When discussing cheeky shorts one can be a little, well, cheekier than usual!

I love these shorts - they're the perfect pair to the Eunice Deco Camisole! They'll be up in the shop tomorrow!

Learning the Photo Ropes

Thanks to the amazing people hanging around on the Etsy forums, I've decided to revamp my Honey Cooler Handmade photos. I'd been fighting the urge to play with my photo levels for fear that they wouldn't accurately display color, but you know what? I'm really happy with these!

So, the Lucie Garconne Tap Shorts were the guinea pig, and what a cute guinea pig they make (if I do say so myself)...

What do you think?